Building construction



g- 5. 1942. w. E. s. STRONG 2,294,139

' BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 10, 1940 "minimum y 5 I K.

l6 k 1'0 l 'V l7-l 10c lOb INVENTOR %li:zi5.sfrons Patented Aug. 25, 1942 h OFFIQE 2,294,139 enome CONSTRUCTION William E. s. str iiguew York, N. n, assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application retreai y 10, 1940, Serial No. 318,269

This invention relates to building construction, and is concerned particularly with the ceiling structure of building construction and with the tie-in of such ceiling structure with partition wall structure of the building.

In many instances of so-called prefabricated housing construction, substantially rectangular, broad faced panel units of Various materials are employed as structural units. In utilizing such types of prefabricated structural units in ceiling construction it has been found diflicult to obtain facial register of the panel units, as placed flatwise side-by-side and end-to-end, so there will be continuity of surface smoothness over the entire exposed area of the ceiling. The individual panel units may vary to a certain extent in thickness, and the ceiling joists may not be perfe ctly true relative to one another.

The present invention has, for a rimary object, the provision of a comparativel simple and inexpensive solution to the above mentioned difficulty.

111 accomplishing this objeot of the invention, an outstanding feature resides in the suspension of the prefabricated panel ceiling units from the ceiling joists by means of screws which afford a considerable number of point of both up and down vertical adjustment for the individual units relative to one another, and by the provision of compressible resilient elements between the up per surfaces of the panel ceiling units and the lower surfaces of the ceiling joists adjacent the points of screw suspension. I

A further object of the invention is the provision for tie-in and secure'rnent of pre-iabricated partition Wall structure with and by the Ceiling construction.

In the accomplishment of this object of the invention, a feature resides in the provision of channel grooves in the e'fie'ctive broad surfaces of certain of the panel ceiling units, and the alignment of such channel grooves for the reception of the upper edge portions of the partition structure.

The adjustable suspension or the ceiling units from the ceiling joists allows the tie-in between the certain grooved panel ceiling units and the partition structure to be readily made. I

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed deform of building construction pursuant to the invention; 7

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 represents a top plan View, consider-3 ably reduced in size, of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. I

The prefabricated panel structural units employed in the particular form of the invention illustrated, are molded from a cementitiousm'a's terial. The ceiling joists are of a conventional type fabricated from structural steel. F g,

The prefabricated panel ceiling units It are, in

the present instance, molded toprovide a substantially rectangular panel body portion Illa, and a peripheral flange lob extending outwardly at substantially right angles from one face ofthe panel body member I811 around the edge margins thereof. p e The panel ceiling units it are a'ssembled sideb'y-side and end-to-end, see particularly Fig. 3, in the construction of the ceiling. They are individually suspended from ceiling joists H I For the purpose of securement to the ceiling joists H, the panel ceiling units [0 are provided with screw receiving recesses, see lg ig. 2, at their respective corners and within their peripheral flanges. The recessesare lined with iernale threaded, tubular shields l3, and serve to receive screws M in the securing operation. I

In the suspension of the panel ceilin units Ill from the ceiling joists H, a desideratum is provision for up and down vertical adjustment of each unit relative to the other units at several points of suspension. Accordingly, the screws I4 are passed through receiving holes in the lower flanges Ha, Ha of the ceiling joists H so that their heads rest on the upper surface's of the flanges and their threaded shanks hang downwardly for threaded engagement with the shields lain the recesses l2. v e

For insuring a solid anchorage which will, nevertheless, permit up and down vertical adjustment of the units within reasonable limits, flexible resilient spacer means are positioned between the uppermost surfaces of the panel ceiling units It] and the lowermost surfacesoi the flanges I let, I la of the ceiling joists l I, desirably adjacent the points of screw suspension.

The flexible resilient spacer means may be blocks or strips of rubber or similar material placed between the respective suspending screws I4 of each unit, but are preferably and most advantageously lengths of rubber tubing l5 through which the shank of the screws [4 pass.

The spacer means are thus positively incorporated in the construction free from the danger of possible displacement and loss, provide uniformity of action about the complete periphery of each suspension screw, and facilitate initial positioning and aligning of the ceiling structure. The lengths of tubing I5 will normally be equal in length.

Flatwise facial registration of the exposed ceiling surfaces I00 of the panel ceiling units I0 may be attained by proper adjustment of the screws I4, the latter being preferably provided with hexagonal heads, as illustrated, which may be easily engaged by a wrench for the purpose.

Certain of the ceiling panel units ID are provided with channel grooves I6 formed in and extending along their exposed ceiling surfaces Illa, for the purpose of receiving and retaining upper portions of prefabricated partition wall structure, as at I1.

The partition structure may be built up from individual prefabricated panel partition units, as at II-I and I'I2, Fig. 3, secured together in an appropriate manner, and dependent upon tie-in with the ceiling structure for proper alignlinearly, for determining the position of the partition wall structure 11. The flexible resilient suspension of the panel ceiling units II) from the ceiling joists I I provides sufficient leeway so that normal irregularities between the ceiling structure and the partition wall structure create no annoying factor in the assembly of the building.

It is contemplated that wall paper, plaster, or other finish facing material may be applied to the exposed ceiling surface Illa of the ceiling structure. For this purpose, the very nearly perfect flatwise facial registration of the individual panel ceiling units relative to one another, as achieved pursuant to the invention, is very advantageous.

It is obvious that the generic principles of the construction above described may be effectively applied in other portions of a building construction wherein there is a structural framework made up of spaced structural supporting elements, and wherein it is desired to secure panel facing units to the structural framework. Thus, the generic principles of the invention may be incorporated in wall construction, etc.

While the invention is illustrated and described with respect to only one preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the generic scope of the invention as set forth herein and in the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. In building construction, ceiling structure comprising spaced ceiling joists having substantially horizontally extending, substantially rigid structural portions, panel ceiling units disposed side-by-side and end-to-end and suspended flatwise from said joists to provide continuity of ceiling surface, female threaded recesses formed in the upper portions of said panel ceiling units adjacent the outer edge margins thereof and opening into the upper surfaces thereof, threaded fastening elements extending through said horizontally extending structural portions and extending downwardly therefrom into threaded engagement with said female threaded recesses, and flexible resilient spacer means disposed between the upper surfaces of said panel ceiling units and lower surfaces of said ceiling joists.

2. In building construction, ceiling structure comprising spaced ceiling joists having substantially horizontally extending, substantially rigid structural portions, panel ceiling units disposed side-by-side and end-to-end and suspended flatwise from said joists to provide continuity of ceiling surface, female threaded recesses formed in the upper portions of said panel ceiling units adjacent the outer edge margins thereof and opening into the upper surfaces thereof, threaded fastening elements extending through said horizontally extending structural portions and extending downwardly therefrom into threaded engagement with said female threaded recesses, and lengths of flexible resilient hollow tubing disposed between the upper surfaces of said panel ceiling units and the lower surfaces of said horizontally extending structural portions, said threaded fastening elements passing lengthwise through said hollow tubing.

3. Building construction, as recited in claim 1, wherein channel grooves are formed in the lower ceiling surfaces of certain of said panel ceiling units and are mutually aligned for the reception of partition wall structure.

4. In building construction, a structural framework adapted to receive panel facing units, said framework comprising spaced structural supporting elements each having lower, relatively thin portions which form rigid structural parts thereof and extend in substantial alignment for the application of said facing units thereto, said relatively thin portions having apertures formed therein at spaced intervals for receiving headed fastening elements; panel facing units adjustably secured to said framework; headed, externally threaded, fastening elements extending-through said apertures and into threaded engagement with back portions of said panel facing units; and resilient spacer elements disposed between the back portions of said panel facing units and said structural supporting elements.

5. In building construction, a structural framework adapted to receive panel facing units, said framework comprising spaced structural supporting elements each having lower, relatively thin portions which form rigid structural parts thereof and extend in substantial alignment for the application of said facing units thereto, said relatively thin portions having apertures formed therein at spaced intervals for receiving headed fastening elements; panel facing units adjustably secured to said framework; headed, externally threaded, fastening elements extending through said apertures and into threaded engagement with back portions of said panel facing units; and resilient spacer elements disposed between the back portions of said panel facing units and said structural supporting elements, said spacer elements being substantially tubular and surrounding, respectively, the respective fastening elements.

WILLIAM E. S. STRONG. 

